


Tracings

by flecksofpoppy



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, Tumblr Prompt, canonverse, genfic, jeanmarco overtones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-28
Updated: 2014-05-28
Packaged: 2018-01-26 21:11:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1702676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flecksofpoppy/pseuds/flecksofpoppy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for anon tumblr prompt: <i>Trainees climbed on the top of the Wall for the first time. JM's impressions of what they saw, thoughts about the future and other stuff. (maybe with a bit of reibert, eremin or springles :3).</i></p><p><a href="http://kaa-05n2.tumblr.com/post/88306672134/inspired-by-tracings-author-flecksofpoppy">Kaa-05n2 on tumblr drew an incredibly <i>gorgeous</i> piece of art that was inspired by this piece.</a> Please go follow her blog immediately for mind bogglingly beautiful art.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tracings

Jean’s never seen an actual sunrise before.

This had never even occurred to him until Marco had pointed out the pink-tipped clouds one early morning as they came into view.

“Have you ever wondered,” he asks, smiling with a hand on Jean’s shoulder, “what they’d look like if you saw them come right over the horizon?”

Jean had crossed his arms and scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Horizon?”

“Sure,” Marco had replied with wide eyes. “It exists over the Wall. At least, that’s what I’ve heard.”

“I guess,” Jean had shrugged.

Still, he was curious; he knew Marco was, too.

= = =

Jean knows the Walls are made of circles, but he’s only been inside one.

They learn in classroom lessons that the sun and moon—at least in theory—travel in the same arcs. They pass across the sky slowly, burning into the day and cooling off at night. Whether it’s summer or winter, the balls of light appear in the sky as if by magic.

Jean never thought about where they come from, where they start. There is no starting point for circles; just rings, like time, the moon, and the sun.

But arcs, on the other hand, have a start and an end, like a day is measured by light.

Jean shades his eyes from the sun as it settles down far across the sky one summer’s evening, and Marco places a light hand right next to his kidney, imitating the movement of striking him.

“See?” he says, a playful smile in his voice. “You’re staring at the sky when you should be paying attention to what we’re supposed to be learning.”

Jean scoffs. “We’re never graded on hand-to-hand combat.”

“Do you see something in the clouds?” Marco asks, looking off at the same place in the sky that Jean is staring.

“No,” he says, unusually serious for a moment, his voice soft, “I guess beyond the wall.” Then he regains his usual expression, and crosses his arms over his chest, shrugging. “Nowhere I want to be.”

Marco grabs his arm and pulls him toward the mess hall. “Sometimes it’s fun,” he says, his face angled away from Jean and his voice soft, “seeing things in clouds.”

“What?” Jean asks, catching up to Marco’s broad stride.

He just looks back at Jean and smiles. “Before we’re done here,” he says, not repeating his former words, “let’s look at the horizon. Let’s see where the sun comes up.”

Jean’s first instinct is to say that it’s a stupid idea; but he doesn’t.

= = =

The first time they manage to get up to the top of the Wall, they all just stare.

“Wow,” he says, leaning against a cannon.

“ _Wow,_ ” Marco echoes, staring off into the distant world.

It’s early morning—pink and raw and electric clouds in neon cast across the sky like a terrifying dream—and Jean can see where the earth ends.

He feels vertigo, almost dizzy.

“It’s tall,” Bertolt says simply, taking a few steps back away from the edge.

“Don’t look down,” Reiner replies softly, standing nearby him.

Sasha is just staring off into the distance, and Connie looks absolutely floored; in fact, they’re both staring downward slightly, as if unconsciously searching for Titans.

“Look, Jean,” Marco says, placing his hand at the small of Jean’s back as he points up at the cloud forms instead of looking at the line of the horizon, “I bet my sister can see that all the way over in Jinae.”

Jean looks up, tries to breathe, and can’t help but stare at the way that Marco’s finger traces the shape.


End file.
